The government has made an important change in the LPG refill booking rule for rural households. From now on, domestic LPG consumers in rural areas can book a new cylinder after 25 days, bringing the rule in line with urban areas. The change will apply with immediate effect.
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said the government has directed oil marketing companies (OMCs) to follow the new 25 day booking gap across India. The order has been sent to major companies including Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Earlier, rural consumers had to wait 45 days before booking another LPG refill, while the gap for urban consumers was 25 days. This temporary restriction was introduced in March when LPG supplies faced pressure due to the conflict in the Middle East.
The government said the LPG supply situation has now improved and refill backlogs have reduced significantly. Because of this improvement, the earlier 45 day restriction for rural consumers is no longer considered necessary. The new rule is expected to make LPG access easier for rural families, especially households that depend mainly on LPG for cooking. It also creates one common booking rule for domestic LPG consumers across rural and urban India.
